Get ready with me: How to look less ill

Hi! So if you're new to my blog let me just fill you in a little. I suffer from a chronic illness called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or M.E for short it is also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. I am around 90% housebound and when I do get out I need to use a wheelchair. Anyway moving on... many people that suffer from a chronic illness despise the phrase 'but you don't look sick.' However of course there are times when we want to look less sick and more human. Not wanting to scare members of the public too much. So todays post is a little how to/ get ready with me post on how to do so.

 The look I was aiming for was quite understated but very fresh and of course awake. The occasion was a family gathering at our house so I didn't want to go too overboard.

If you can prepare the night before then do so. Plan your skincare, haircare, make up and outfit and lay out all your items so they are easily accessible. Get someone to help you if you need to. As you can see I have prepped my make up bag so that all the products I expect to use are at the top. Hung my dress up outside my wardrobe. And I thought I would opt for a bit of a different hairstyle for a change with some waves. So I thought the easiest way to achieve this would be by platting my air in bunches. I really struggle to hold hairdryers etc so this seemed ingenious.

Secondly the night before try and get as much sleep/rest as you can. And I say as you can because I know it is often beyond your control.

Now onto getting ready. Note to any chronic illness folk that you should only do what you can manage on that day and get help where needed. If you are able to wash your face then do so. I like to use simple moisturising face wash as being indoors a lot my skin needs as much moisture as possible. Prep all the items that you wish to use and obviously make sure you have a decent mirror close by too. I usually do skincare (other than wash my face) in bed, the more I can have my legs extended the better. Then apply a moisturizer to help your skin look more hydrated and healthy. At the moment my two favourites are Garnier skin naturals moisture match for dull skin (the orange one) and Clinique dramatically different moisturizing lotion+. Both make your skin feel really quenched. Then if you want extra radiance or more of a pick me up I like to apply Clarins Beauty Flash Balm. It makes your skin look fab and is a great base for your make up.

For this look as I wanted something very light and because I have a teeny bit more colour than usual (I know, I'm super pale) I opted for a cc cream rather than foundation. I used the Max Factor which is great for evening up your skin tone and giving a fresh base.

Now if you are looking tired and worn out your greatest make up friend is concealer. I opted for the Rimmel Wake me up concealer (does what it says) under my eyes to disguise the dark circles. Then on any blemishes and around my nose I used Collection Lasting Perfection. Blending them all with a soft brush.

Then I took the Collection mosaic bronzer and used an angled face brush to contour my cheek bones. Making the lovely fish face as I did so. Because I was in a rush and wanted to use most of my energy on chatting and eating cake that was all the make up I applied. If you do want to add more make up then I would suggest using a white or nude eyeliner on your water line, a light eyeshadow in the inner corners of your eyes and mascara to open up your eyes more and make you seem more awake.

I then got dressed with some help from my Mum. As I wanted to wear a dress I cheated on the legs front and wore tights. Tights can be a spoonie lady's best friends. Also loving the fact that the dress came with the necklace attached, yet another small cheat. Extra glam, without the extra effort. 

I then used the Batiste dry shampoo to help hold the waves. Applying it to my roots and rubbing it in, then to each plait.   Brushing it through gently once I'd taken the plaits out.

And there you have it my completed look. Looking less sick chick that had just woken up to more healthy and ready to socialise.

Sian x